Amnesty and racist rebel atrocities in Libya

“Given the atrocities committed in Misrata and Benghazi the option of allowing the rebels to conquer pro-Gaddafi population centres is inconceivable – there is now only one option – and that option is peace.”

Well, Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen and NATO did not agree and the atrocities we feared are unfolding.

Amnesty today report on the killing of black and dark-skinned people in Libya after Amnesty workers personally see them targetted in Tripoli. The article clearly recognises this is part of a bigger pattern:

An Amnesty delegation visiting the Central Tripoli Hospital on Monday witnessed three thuwwar revolutionaries (as the opposition fighters are commonly known) dragging a black patient from the western town of Tawargha from his bed and detaining him. The men were in civilian clothing.

(Tawargha is the town south of Misrata about which HRI has MAJOR concerns as the inhabitants – whose fate is unknown – were dark-skinned.)

The thuwwar said the man would be taken to Misratah for questioning, arguing that interrogators in Tripoli “let killers free”. Two other black Libyans receiving treatment in the hospital for gunshot wounds were warned by the anti-Gaddafi forces that “their turn was coming”.

The delegation also witnessed a group of thuwwar beating a man outside the hospital. The man, in distress, was shouting “I am not a fifth columnist”, a reference to al-Gaddafi loyalists.

From the start of the Libyan rebellion black people in Libya have been attacked and lynched by rebel mobs. This has been known by human rights groups and the United Nations as well as by the intelligence agencies, military forces, media and political leaders in the NATO countries – but they have generally kept a lid on it because it does not suit the narrative.

It does not suit the narrative of an oppressed people standing up against tyranny and for human rights to find rebel lynch mobs targetting black people, lynching them and ethnically cleansing them. Human Rights Investigations has documented that these lynchings even happened at rebel HQ in Benghazi.

Below is graphic footage of another lynching – and as with other incidents we see large numbers of rebel supporters involved. HRI has far more graphic footage including Al Qaeda-style beheadings which we are keeping back as evidence. (Note for those submitting material: please provide information regarding provenance, time, place, perpetrators, victims and witnesses and soundtracks where possible)

WARNING:GRAPHIC VIDEO

Where reports of racial atrocities have reached the media, the story has been that the victims are “African mercenaries” despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. Amnesty workers on the ground have reported that the widespread allegations of African mercenaries have little or no basis in fact – but this information has been suppressed and the fears of African mercenaries, extremely useful to the rebel side, have been whipped up by the media and NATO politicians such as UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox.

The rebel commander in Misrata threatened to ethnically cleanse Tawergha, the town to the south of Misrata occupied mainly by dark-skinned people – months later that object seems to have been achieved with direct air support from NATO – yet the crime has been ignored.

Well, today are Amnesty reporting some of the facts in Tripoli although whether this will reach the mainstream media is another question.

Today, Amnesty also report some earlier incidents they witnessed recently:

On 29 August, Amnesty examined the body of an unidentified black man at the Tripoli Medical Centre morgue. He was brought into the morgue earlier that morning by unknown men. His feet and his torso were tied. He bore no visible injuries, but had blood smudged around his mouth. The state of his body pointed to a recent death. No autopsy report was available, and no identification documents were found on him.

On 28 August, Amnesty visited a group of Eritreans hiding in their home in a poor Tripoli neighbourhood. They told the organisation that they were staying indoors for fear of violent attacks. Their situation was particularly dire given the absence of electricity and running water.

It has now become clear that the Al Qaeda /Ku Klux Klan types who have taken over in Tripoli, and the rebels generally, are not as welcoming to human rights workers, UN observers and the whole panoply of western intervention as it appeared they might be when they were primarily concerned with spreading pro-rebel propaganda.

The dam holding back reporting of these incidents has been breaking in recent days as many journalists are in Tripoli and commendable individuals within the media corps have been prepared to report honestly about the situation. It is to be hoped that information about rebel crimes does not continue to be suppressed, reports delayed, excuses found and the black people of Libya betrayed.

The full coverage of rebel racist crimes is essential to protect the population in Tripoli and the prisoners and also because many black people in Libya live in the south of the country. It is the south (including Sabha in Fezzan) that will be attacked by NATO and the rebels in the coming weeks. Racist atrocities will follow and public pressure on the decision-makers has to be mobilised to try and prevent it happening.

34 responses to Amnesty and racist rebel atrocities in Libya

If barack obama is watching all these atrocities that is occuring in libya against black people how does he plan to face black people in america come 2012.By now he should be aware that all this blood is on his hands for all the lies he has told the american people.He will certainly go down in history as the the worst american president ever,this man is a hypocritical mass murderer.I don’t even know how he can look at himself in a mirror.Obama how do you and your zionist friends plan to get out of this fix or do you have some more lies planned for the american people, enjoy this socalled victory my dear friend because your time as president of the USA is nearing it’s end.You are a disgrace to africa and it’s people and you will have to face allah for your role in this human tragedy.You are a liar,a thief,and a mass murderer.May the creator have mercy on your evil soul.

I also wondered how Obama felt about backing these sacks of shit after hearing about this shit, but the truth is, Obama is no friend of the zionists. Every action he takes creates more radical islamic societies and increases the likelihood of this type of violence. Obama is promuslim, anti-israel, anti-white, anti-american.

I’m just a nobody who reads constantly, and I predicted ALL of this prior to the NATO involvement. The whole thing is pathetic.

In no way can the treatment of the people of Tawergha be condoned. I know that Libyans are appalled, too. But it is erroneous to put a western gloss on conflicts in arenas we know little about, where the ethnic composition differs from those we westerners know. There are many black Libyans who are well integrated. The issue is not colour of skin. But you must know that Gaddafi exploited all kinds of social differences to play groups off one against each other. He used tribe, family and religion to this end. He exploited tribes whose, historical territories straddled colonially determined borders playing on their insecurities; many would be used as intelligence agents, of whom I have had experience in that they once threatened my children because they spoke English and Arabic and therefore could not be trusted. Libya was rife with paranoia about trust, not only of the stranger but also of the birth brother and sister. Gaddafi engaged the people of Tawergha with a complex system of bribes and rewards. Thus they were suspected in the heightened tension of conflict and war. Terrible things did happen in Mistrata too, for which there is much evidence, perpetrated by whom I ask. In a recent interview Kofi Annan referred to mercenaries used by Gaddafi. Libyans would know them by features and by language or accent/dialect. Not colour. I suggest you explore the context more deeply for a better understanding of the complex nexus of relations, and give equal attention to all atrocities. Only this gives credibility. I repeat, the treatment of the people of Tawergha is a crime against human rights and must be addressed.

Thanks for your observations. Just to clarify, Kofi Annan did not use the term ‘mercenaries’. He was referring to Tuareg troops who were in the Libyan army, who either deserted or moved to northern Mali and joined the MNLA after Gadaffi was killed.

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] is worth noting that this demonisation of black people has led to widespread atrocities including lynchings and beheadings in which the highest echelons of the National Transitional Council have been […]

[…] The New York Times and the rest of the establishment media are working overtime to portray the Transitional National Council and al-Qaeda as heroes and the legitimate rulers of Libya. Precious little corporate media space is squandered on the fact NATO’s rebels are murderous racists. […]

[…] is worth noting that this demonisation of black people has led to widespread atrocities including lynchings and beheadings in which the highest echelons of the National Transitional Council have been […]

[…] is worth noting that this demonisation of black people has led to widespread atrocities including lynchings and beheadings in which the highest echelons of the National Transitional Council have been […]

[…] around and appoint as Executive Director a person who can help Amnesty to come to terms with their failures over Libya, including failing to take timely action to defend the Tawergha, migrant workers and dark-skinned […]

[…] is worth noting that this demonisation of black people has led to widespread atrocities includinglynchings and beheadings in which the highest echelons of the National Transitional Council have been […]